Project Kit. Trees for Mum a living legacy. Supported by Landcare Australia

Transcription

1 Project Kit Trees for Mum a living legacy Supported by Landcare Australia

2 Welcome to the Trees for Mum project kit. Thank you for taking an interest in Trees for Mum, a program which started as a one-off event in 2002 and has since grown into a ten year tradition. With your help we hope to see it continue well into the future. Trees for Mum was a tribute created by myself and my friend and colleague Deena Raphael, to remember our beautiful mums Barb and Lynn, and we are honoured that it is now a tribute to, and a reminder of so many mums each year on Mother s Day. The essence of Trees for Mum is to plant a tree to remember mums who are no longer living, however we also encourage those who are fortunate enough to still have their mums alive, to plant for her or even with her. The idea is to create a living legacy while nurturing the environment, and recognising the importance of our mums, on Mother s Day. Through your involvement with Trees for Mum, even more daughters and sons can remember their mums in a positive way. By hosting a Trees for Mum event, you will be giving people who may dread Mother s Day (like we did!) something positive to do. We thank you for your interest and involvement, and we are sure you will find a Trees for Mum planting event as rewarding as we do. Best regards If you are hosting a Trees for Mum event, please your event details to admin@treesformum.com to ensure that it can be included on the Trees for Mum website Trees for Mum Project Kit

3 Contents Introduction 2 Technical Notes 3 How to Create a Trees for Mum Event 4 Planting Day 5 Challenges, Hints & Tips 7 Promotion 8 Budget 12 Resources 12 Appendix 1 - Run Sheet Example 13 Appendix 2 - Event Checklist 14 Appendix 3 - Promotions Checklist 15 Disclaimer This publication may be of assistance to you but Landcare Australia and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. 1

4 Introduction Trees for Mum a living legacy Trees for Mum is a series of Mother s Day memorial tree-planting events, originally created for members of the community whose mothers had passed away. The events take place annually on the second Sunday in May - Mother s Day in Australia. The events have since evolved into celebratory tree planting events for ALL mothers, however still with a focus on members of the community whose mums are no longer living. Trees for Mum was created by Lauren Adlam and Deena Raphael in May 2002 as they had both lost mothers to cancer and were interested in doing something positive for other people who do not have mothers. In recent years, Alecia Braven, who attended the inaugural Trees for Mum event as a participant, has taken over a large portion of the management and administration of the campaign. Mother s Day was chosen as the ideal time to pay tribute to mums who have passed away, as well as mums living. Planting a tree is a symbolic and reflective gesture which allows us to honour and remember our mothers. The first Trees for Mum event began with the support of Manly Council, Sydney, and attracted over 150 people to Manly Lagoon Park to plant commemorative trees. In the following years the Trees for Mum program saw participation from a growing number of councils and environmental groups across the Sydney metropolitan area and around Australia. Interest and feedback from both participants and council supporters has encouraged the Trees for Mum program to grow. The events have proved a huge success and have generated an amazing response, with those who participated gaining many beautiful memories on what can often be a tough day. To date more than 20,000 people have participated and planted a Tree for Mum. From 2012, Landcare Australia is proudly supporting Trees for Mum, with the aim of extending the reach of the program by promoting it to the Landcare movement. This kit will provide you with resources to create your own Trees for Mum event, either in conjunction with your local council, as part of existing Landcare activities in your area, or in partnership with other environmental groups. It should be noted from the outset that by committing to creating a Trees for Mum event in your area, you are committing to promoting and hosting the event on Mother s Day and you may need additional volunteers to assist you. Trees for Mum Project Kit 2

5 Technical Notes Trees for Mum Project Kit This kit includes artwork and easy to use templates for all Trees for Mum collateral that can be downloaded from the Trees for Mum page on Artwork templates are available for download in the following formats: Adobe InDesign (.ind/.idml) Editable blank high resolution PDFs for the production of localised event versions of these artworks as required Avery Label Word templates. IMPORTANT NOTE Please note Adobe Acrobat Reader X is required to update the PDF artwork. Additionally you will need to create a specific digital signature (logo only) in order to insert a sponsor/ council/group logo onto the artwork. For this process you will need your logo in PDF format ONLY. For the best results make sure the logo has as little white space around it as possible. To download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader go to reader/. This is a free download. This process will only need to be completed once and you will be able to use this logo/ digital signature on all collateral. Download instructions on how to create a digital signature are available to download from the Trees for Mum page on Trees for Mum Project Kit 3

6 How to Create a Trees for Mum Event Site allocation If you do not already have an appropriate site allocated for Landcare activities, we suggest you approach a suitable group or organisation in your area who may be able to get involved with the event. Possible event partners or organisations who could help advise on potential sites include your local council s Bushcare Officer, Catchment Management or NRM authorities in your area, or your Regional Landcare Facilitator. Historically Trees for Mum has been very well supported by Bushcare programs in urban areas and awareness throughout the Bushcare network is growing. When speaking to the relevant local authority, explain the concept and timing of the event, and ask if they have an appropriate site to host a Trees for Mum event. Ideally they will be able to allocate a planting activity to Trees for Mum which will mean they may help provide plants and staff for the event. If the council is able to commit to the event, confirm exact location details (we suggest going to look at the site), best access to the site, number of plants allocated, staffing and provision of planting tools and gloves. All of this information is very important to include in your media release and for promotion. You will need to continue communication with the council leading up to the event. In addition, you should contact the council s, or other relevant local authority s, communications officer to ensure the event is included in all appropriate local communications. If you have an appropriate site selected for your local Landcare activities, consider allocating plants for your Trees for Mum event, and include the activity in your calendar of events. A courtesy call could be made to your relevant local authority to see if they are able to assist with the event. Timing The event should run on Mother s Day, the second Sunday in May. In the past we have found that running events from 9am until 12noon worked well, however you can also choose another three hour period throughout the day that best suits your group or network. Historically, this duration and timing ensures the event doesn t take up the whole day for staff and volunteers and allows participants to easily fit it into their weekend s activities and other Mother s Day celebrations. Trees for Mum Project Kit 4

7 Planting Day For a sample event run sheet, see Appendix 1 (page 13) and for an event check list, see Appendix 2 (page 15). Venue set up The venue set up is extremely important as people should arrive to a welcoming and friendly space. People will often come in groups and may wish to plant just one tree or many. It is vital to have a friendly face to greet them and put them at ease, as well as to explain how the planting works. Please note that people will arrive across the whole time period, not en masse as a big group. As a result it is important that a volunteer is located at the registration table for the entire event. Registration table A registration table should be set up near the planting site, and visible from the parking area or approach to the planting site entrance and manned throughout the event. Each person should be greeted on arrival and told what is happening on the day. This will ensure that no-one is missed and that you get a full list of attendees, which you will need for both your records/results and for insurance purposes. There is a registration form template available for download. However if you prefer to use your own registration form be sure to capture all the details you need to comprehensively evaluate your event afterwards. You will need an address so that details of future Trees for Mum events can be sent next year. You could also include an opt in box on the registration form for participants who wish to receive further communication regarding your group or network s activities in the local area if you are looking to increase your newsletter or volunteer databases. Registration form example Download a registration form template from the Trees for Mum page on Trees for Mum Project Kit 5

8 Displays Consider installing displays at the venue offering information about your group or network or other Landcare activities in the area. This gives people something to look at and educates them in more detail on what Landcare is all about and how they can get involved. Photos Be sure to try to capture all stages of the day with photos. If you have enough volunteers we suggest assigning a volunteer or two on the day to photograph the event. These photos can be added to your Facebook profile after the event as well as any websites you manage or have access to, and are also perfect to use for promotional purposes for any future events you might hold. Make sure to get permission from participants to use their photos for promotional purposes after the event. This is included in the registration form template that everyone needs to sign on the day, and also gives the option for people who do not want to be photographed to opt out. Please note that due to the nature of this event, some participants may be emotional about planting a tree for their mum. Please ensure you are sensitive to this when taking photos. IMPORTANT NOTE Make sure to get permission from participants to use their photos for promotional purposes after the event. Trees for Mum Project Kit 6

9 Challenges, hints and tips Number of participants Taking into account the size of the site you are using and the number of volunteers and staff you have available to work on the day you may have to consider capping the number of participants. Historically Trees for Mum events have involved between 20 and 200 participants per site, with groups often attending to participate together in honour of one mum. If you have limited trees available for planting, it is suggested that you ask participants to register before the event to ensure they have a tree available for them on the day. You can do this by promotions and media relations in the run up to the event. Any additional participants who arrive without registering should be assigned a tree on a first in first served basis, while ensuring all registered participants are allocated a tree. Registration could be via a phone call or and it may be worth creating a standalone address for this purpose. Be sure to have one central point for registrations to ensure that no potential registrants slip through the cracks. Personal identification of plants and trees We get a lot of requests from participants to personally identify their tree so they can come back to visit it etc. This has not been encouraged or facilitated in the past due to the prospect of not all trees surviving and hence the potential to start the grieving process all over again if a participant s tree dies. That said, a lot of participants have written names or messages on the bio-degradable stakes attached to their trees. We like to encourage participants to view the area planted as lots of trees for lots of mums! Trees for Mum Project Kit 7

10 Promotion For a promotions check list, see Appendix 3 (page 15) Promotion of a Trees for Mum event is key to its success and should be undertaken at least one month prior to your event to guarantee great attendance at the planting. Be sure to monitor the success of your promotion throughout the build-up to the event and adapt your plan to target the audience. Here we list examples of the type of promotional work you can do to get the word out about your event. Ensure that all of your promotional material includes key information that people need to know, such as time, date, location, how to register and what to bring e.g. closed shoes, gloves, water etc. 1. Local Newspapers or Local Magazines Local newspapers are one of the most effective mediums for promotion, and typically stories are run the fortnight or week prior to the event. You should contact the editor of your local newspaper with your media release and pitch the idea, including letting them know you are a local as that is often an important element of such stories. Also, sharing why this event is important to you will help personalise the event and create the basis of a great article. Once you have begun discussions with the editor, we recommend asking the journalist or editor for some sort of a guarantee that your story will run. You can also invite them, or the paper s photographer, to attend on the day and run a follow up story about the success of the day, however the focus should be on a promotional story before the event, so people can register and you know how many people to expect. 2. Social media Facebook In order to set up your Trees for Mum event as a Facebook event, your group or network will need to already have a Facebook page established. This is a free resource that anyone who is already a member of Facebook in a personal capacity can set up. Setting up a Facebook page is very easy and is a great way to showcase the work that your organisation is doing. You don t need to be technically savvy to set this up and maintain it, and it s a great way to build an online audience. Simply establishing a page isn t enough however. You will need to keep it updated with content that will keep your fans interested and also be sure to answer queries or respond to comments in a timely fashion. This can be time consuming and will require whoever is in charge of your page to dedicate a certain amount of time to this every week. To help keep your page fresh, think about taking photographs and posting them on your wall, as well as linking to any media coverage your group has received. Post links to websites that share interesting news from your local area, or other organisations that may be of interest to your members. Trees for Mum Project Kit 8

11 A huge number of Landcare groups and organisations are already using Facebook successfully and you can check out some of their profiles here: Illawarra Youth Landcare Landcare Australia Willow Warriors As part of your group or network s Facebook profile you can create an event, which your followers than then share with their friends, thereby spreading the word, and encouraging people to attend. You can post comments and teasers to help build momentum in the run-up to the event and encourage interested parties to register. You should also include your event on the dedicated Trees for Mum page and the Landcare Australia Facebook page, which will expand your audience. Read more about creating a Facebook page, by visiting Twitter Twitter is another, hugely popular social media tool that can be used by your group or network. Creating a Twitter profile for your group is a great way to connect with like-minded people who operate in a similar sector. Twitter is a social networking service on which its users can post updates or tweets of up to 140 characters. These updates can include photographs and links to other websites. Some existing Landcare groups on Twitter include: Illawarra Youth Landcare BeachCare Landcare Australia With smart phones being commonly used, you can post short and snappy updates about projects your group or network are working on and keep up to date with what other similar groups are doing. Follow people who are involved in your sector and they will follow you back to keep up to date with your activities. Promoting your Trees for Mum event through Twitter is another free and effective way to get the word out and create a buzz about your event. When tweeting about your event, include #treesformum in your tweets so that people interested in these types of events can find them. 3. Media relations A template media release, which allows you to simply insert specific details about your event is available to download from the Trees for Mum page on The Landcare group media kit is also available for download on the Landcare Australia website. This kit will give you hints and tips about selling in a media release, and other promotional ideas. You should consider targeting: Local newspapers Local radio stations Local television networks Local community groups, clubs, school and societies that publish newsletters Community notice-boards e.g. contact your local television and radio networks and ABC office to see if they have online community events listings or local business. Trees for Mum Project Kit 9

12 You can investigate the most suitable radio programs and publications that are aimed at your target audience and base your promotional activities around these. You will find a media check-list at the end of this kit, which you can also use to make sure you have covered all angles when it comes to media relations. Download media release templates from the Trees for Mum page on lists and networks Utilising your existing and newsletter lists can be extremely valuable. Providing information to all your existing contacts allows the momentum to build and people to do your promotion for you. The most successful promotional method for an event like this is word of mouth, so sharing your message with as many people as possible will help spread the word. Also tap into other regional environment networks. Find out what organisations in your region send out newsletters and publications on a regular basis and ask them to distribute information about your event through their networks as well. This could include sustainability newsletters being managed by local councils or other environmental groups and organisations in your region. Make sure you your event details to admin@treesformum.com and events@landcareaustralia. com.au so that we can list it on our websites. Download PDF and website tile templates from the Trees for Mum page on PDF flyer Open the PDF file in the latest version Acrobat Reader to fill in the event details. Using the form, update fields with the relevant event information and insert logo (when required), via the digital signature. Once completed, attach to your existing or new researched list, and out. Download instructions on how to create a digital signature from the Trees for Mum page on au. When: Insert date Insert time Where: Venue Address line 1 Address line 2 To register: Contact name Contact number Contact What to Insert item bring: Insert item Contact (insert council address) or go to (insert council web address) Insert web address PDF flyer example Website tile (250x300) The Web tile is a standard size (Medium Rectangle) compatible with a number of website advertising specifications, however, can be used for a number of different purposes. Webtile example Trees for Mum Project Kit 10

13 5. Flyers and posters Flyers and posters are great ways to promote your event. Be sure to include all the information a person interested in registering needs, and distribute them in places where you may attract the audience you are looking for. Examples of successful flyer and poster sites include camping stores, bars, cafes, community notice boards, CFA, SES and sporting clubs. Please ensure you have permission to circulate your flyer or poster from the afore mentioned organisations. Download PDF and website tile templates from the Trees for Mum page on Flyer Open the PDF files in the latest version of Acrobat Reader to fill in the event details. Using the form, update fields with the relevant event information and insert logo (when required), via the digital signature. Download instructions on how to create a digital signature from the Trees for Mum page on A3 and A4 posters Open the PDF files in the latest version of Acrobat Reader to fill in the event details. Using the form, update fields with the relevant event information and insert logo (when required), via the digital signature. If printing inhouse please use TreesforMum_A3 Poster_ ext.pdf and if printing through an external profession printer please use TreesforMum_A3 Poster_cr_ext.pdf (this includes crops marks and bleed). Download instructions on how to create a digital signature from the Trees for Mum page on When: Insert date Insert time Where: Venue Address line 1 Address line 2 To register: Contact name Contact number Contact What to Insert item bring: Insert item Insert web address Contact (insert group/council address) or go to (insert group/council web address) When: Insert date Insert time Where: Venue Address line 1 Address line 2 To register: Contact name Contact number Contact What to Insert item bring: Insert item Flyer example Insert web address Contact (insert group/council address) or go to (insert group/council web address) Poster example 11

14 Budget Costs for a Trees for Mum event should be minimal, particularly if it is supported by a local council. You should expect to incur costs for Printing of signage, posters and flyers Sunscreen ensure you have at least one large pump pack container, or more if your event is quite large Water - have a few large bottles on hand, particularly if it s going to be a hot day. Stationery Please note plants, stakes and guards can cost up to approximately $5 each if you need to buy them. Resources Time and Skills required Creating your first Trees for Mum event will require your time. If you have access to volunteers or staff to run the event you should designate roles to ensure one single person is not weighed down. Time will be required for Promotions Media Relations (including follow up) Monitoring registrations Event logistics Event day coordination, including tree planting instructions Post event analysis Trees for Mum Project Kit 12

15 Appendix 1 Run Sheet This is a sample run sheet that will give you an idea of how much time to allocate for certain activities. Adapting this to suit your own event is a great way to keep the day running smoothly. Time Activity Responsibility Notes 8:00am Set-up and arrival All Venue set up including registration table, display of plants, information etc.. All 9:00am Participants begin to arrive Car parking/traffic management Tom Wear high-vis jacket Registration desk Jane & Sara 9.15am- 9.30am Welcome/Introduction speech Jane House-keeping: Fire safety, first aid kit, emergency go-to staff, OH&S Jane Planting demonstration explain simply and clearly as many people may not have planted Tom before 9.30am- 12midday Continue to welcome and register participants Jane & Sara Take photos of planting Ken & Steph Avoid those who have not given permission Continue to demonstrate planting technique to new arrivals Tom & Alex 12noon Conclude SAMPLE Ensure all paperwork is complete 12:15pm Pack up All Jane & Sara Discuss sharing paperwork and plant maintenance with Council staff member if applicable Trees for Mum Project Kit 13

16 Appendix 2 Event Checklist This is a sample event checklist. You may not need everything on the list and can adapt as necessary for your own event. OH&S Staff Ensure your OH&S procedures are in order for the day Name tag with Trees for Mum logo for each staff member Traffic control Car park signage Signage to direct people to the venue Venue set-up Signage Table for registration/sign-in and name tags Registration forms Pens Sunscreen Planting Other Seedlings (may be provided by council) Planting tools (may be provided by council. If participants are required to bring their own tools please specify in media release and attempt to get some donated by local businesses as most people won t end up bringing their own) Gloves (may be provided by council) Stakes (may be provided by council) Guards (may be provided by council) Sunscreen Water or baby wipes for hand washing Rubbish bins for litter Water for plants, on the day and postevent Brochures/Flyers about your group/ network/council Display Board promoting your group environmental activities or others in your area Trees for Mum Project Kit 14

17 Appendix 3 Promotions Checklist Two months before Prepare media release Prepare comprehensive list of target media and promotional outlets, including: Local newspapers Local radio stations Local television networks Local community groups, clubs, school and societies that publish newsletters Community notice-boards e.g. contact your local television and radio networks and ABC office to see if they have online community events listings. Print flyers/banners/posters. Publish information on your group s website or newsletter if you have one. Seven weeks before Contact community groups, clubs and schools to enquire about including information in an upcoming newsletter Contact community notice-boards regarding including event information Begin social media campaign through Facebook and Twitter and continue through to event date Six weeks before Distribute flyers and posters. Send an blast to your mailing list. Five weeks before Issue media release to: Local newspapers Local radio stations Local television networks. Trees for Mum Project Kit 15

18 Four weeks before Register your event with Trees for Mum and Landcareonline websites Follow-up with any local media that you have not been able to get in touch with and schedule information about your event to run prior to registrations closing. Two weeks before Send a follow-up blast to your mailing list about registrations closing soon. Ramp up social media activity. One week prior Contact local radio Continue to ramp up social media activity Post event Follow up with local media as required Report on event via social media Trees for Mum Project Kit 16

19 17

20 Landcare Australia Limited 2012